The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) identified a suspected fake alcohol plant in Aba, Abia State. According to a statement released on Monday, October 19, 2026, the agency’s operatives discovered the site at No. 25 Omenazu Street after receiving credible intelligence. Punch and Nairametrics reported that the equipment, materials, and facility components found at the premises were estimated to be worth over 500 million naira.
NAFDAC described the production environment as unhygienic. The suspected operator reportedly fled when officials arrived, leaving behind a vehicle that contained empty bottles and a drum holding approximately 200 litres of liquid. Inside the vehicle, regulators found packaging materials imitating Sir Edwards Scotch Whisky and Scottish Hills Whisky. A search of the main premises revealed additional items, including sealing machines, bottle caps, cartons, and storage tanks containing various liquid mixtures. Punch noted that dirty sieves were also found, which were suspected to have been used in the production process.
Further inspection uncovered plastic buckets and 200-litre drums containing ethanol. Nairametrics reported that some of these drums contained tree bark immersed in the ethanol, a detail that raised questions about the safety and quality of the suspected products. NAFDAC urged the public to report suspected illegal manufacturing activities through its call centre or email address to support ongoing enforcement efforts. The agency did not immediately clarify if any arrests had been made in connection with the raid.
This latest action adds to a broader crackdown on fake alcohol in Nigeria. Nairametrics noted that the discovery came less than a week after NAFDAC seized counterfeit packaging materials worth over 200 million naira from five shops in Aba. In a separate operation at the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex on October 13, Punch reported that the agency seized suspected counterfeit drinks valued at 2 billion naira. Additionally, goods worth 2.6 billion naira were destroyed in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, earlier that week. These operations are part of NAFDAC’s intensified efforts to remove non-compliant alcoholic beverages from the market, including a nationwide exercise launched in July 2026 to restrict sachets and small plastic bottles.